Alexander Brown Griswold

Alexander Brown Griswold (19 April 1907 – 4 October 1991) was an American art historian, known for his work in Thai art history and epigraphy. Born into an established banking family of Baltimore, he became acquainted with Thailand while serving in the army during World War II, and developed an interest in the country's history and culture, thereafter dedicating himself to the study of its history and archaeology. Griswold's early work mostly focused on stylistic analyses of the religious sculpture of Sukhothai and Lan Na, and by the 1960s he had become recognized as an expert authority on Thai traditional art, particularly in the area of sculpture. He was an adjunct professor at Cornell University, and amassed a large collection of Thai art and antiques at his home near Baltimore, which was opened to the public as a museum. His later work shifted in focus to the study of ancient inscriptions, and he co-authored the landmark "Epigraphic and Historical Studies" series with Prasert na Nagara from 1968 to 1979.

Early life and career Alexander Brown Griswold was born on 19 April 1907 to an established banking family of Baltimore. His father, Benjamin H. Griswold Jr., was a great-great-grandson of Alexander Brown, the founder of Alex. Brown & Sons, the first investment banking firm in the United States. Griswold grew up in Baltimore, graduating school from the Gilman School in 1924. He studied art and architecture at Princeton University, graduating with honors in 1928, and did post-graduate work in architecture at Trinity College, Cambridge before returning to join the family firm in 1930, becoming a partner the following year (and senior partner following his father's death in 1946).